Love is a Battlefield
by hotchip
Summary: Arthur Kirkland and Alfred Jones are two young men secretly in love in a world that is dominated by the war. But when they're both called up for conscription, what will become of their lives?
1. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1-

(*)

* * *

Arthur gazed upon the English countryside he always loved. Being on this hill, far away from everyone, far away from the talk of war, he relished in the harmony that took him away from everything that had been dominated by the war, which had turned into his everyday life.  
He couldn't go a day without someone muttering about "those bloody Nazis" as they took over Europe and how England was never going to fall to these "Krauts" – and with everyone so caught up in the war effort. Arthur sighed as he lay down on the grass, taking in the beautiful sight before him – trees and rolling hills of grass which a vibrant green, untouched from the war, the view of his small town, so clean and so quiet – he could easily just live up on this hill for the rest of his life.

He closed his eyes and let the fading autumn breeze relax him further, listening to the faint chirps of the birds singing their songs.  
Drifting peacefully further into his blissful state, Arthur felt a warm hand entangle with his own by his side, and gave it a loving squeeze knowing the one person it belonged to.  
"Hey" he smiled, head turning to the side, opening them to see the one person that could only make his blissful state even better – Alfred Jones. A man who possessed his heart along with the most beautiful smile that he ever saw. It was one of those smiles that made him forget every negative aspect in his life and radiated throughout his entire being. Arthur, despite having a strong passion for literature couldn't even begin to describe Alfred in the words he read everyday. He was his everything and he couldn't even fathom life without him.  
Alfred's honey blond hair radiated the sun, capturing the diming light of the autumn day and well as those beautiful baby blue eyes that said nothing but pure adoration as he moved in closer to hug him tightly.  
"Hey yourself." Another squeeze.  
"I've missed you." Arthur nuzzled into the embrace, his head settling in the crook of Alfred's neck, smelling the metal, oil and rust on his clothes.  
Alfred kissed top his Arthur's mussed hair. "I've missed you too babe. It's been a long day at the shop and Gil was really being a pain the ass today. He blamed the broken car on me and make me work like I was filling in an order for the Air Force or summat…"  
"Tell him to shove a gear stick up his arse" Arthur replied kissing his neck in an apology.  
"As much as I would like to, my mom would probably throw me out of the house for being mean to 'Gilly-Bear.' "  
Arthur chuckled. "He's a twat."  
"Not as much as you, babe."  
Arthur slapped him on the arm with Alfred only grinning widely to suppress his laughter. "And to think I was about to say something heart-warming and adorable to you. Wanker."  
"Aww, Artie." Alfred pulled Arthur harder in the embrace and lifted his head up to look into those green eyes he fell in love with. "You're a twat because you love me and I love you. I mean, I'm pretty much amazing, but you're still a twat. But you're _my_ twat. My funny, smart, cute and absolutely perfect twat."  
Arthur looked into his eyes with a straight face and then burst into laughter. "_Oh, dear Lord_. Alfred Fitzgerald Jones -what fumes has Gilbert been exposing you to?"  
Arthur laughed again, softer this time and pulled up a hand to stroke Alfred's cheek.  
"Despite your sentimental and absolute absurd bullshit, I love you too 'Freddie."  
"Freddie, eh? Now I know tha-"  
"Shut up. Don't spoil it." He silenced Alfred by kissing him gently on the lips.  
"You're a-" Alfred began, pulling away from the kiss.  
"No." Arthur interrupted and began kissing him again claiming his possession, devotion and everything he could never express into the kiss. Alfred readily gave in with as equal fervor knowing the absolute revere he had for _his _Arthur. And being here, in Arthur's sanctuary was all he ever needed.  
Breaking away from the kiss, Arthur looked into Alfred's eyes again. "Twat."

(*)

"Alfred."  
"Alfred." Arthur repeated, shaking Alfred gently. "We have to go."  
"I don't wanna though." Alfred said burying his head deeper into Arthur's coat.  
"C'mon love. We've already been here for hours."  
Alfred refused to move, despite Arthur's shuffling.  
"Alfred."  
"Whyyyyy" he whined as Arthur pushed him off and sat up.  
"You know why. Come on."  
Alfred pouted as he got up and reached towards his bag, grabbing a small, thick leather bound book. "Before I forget, here's your book."  
"I'm impressed. You took surprisingly good care of it."  
"It's one of your favourites, so you'll probably either bore me to death with your nagging or you'll come over to my house and cut my throat in my sleep if I even dare fold a page."  
Arthur grinned and merely ran his hand along of the leather spine, looking one last time to the setting sun over the green pastures.  
"I'm ready for you Mrs. Darcy." Alfred grinned down at Arthur holding out his hand with a grand bow.  
Arthur howled with laughter. "Oh Mr. Darcy! You astound me." He pulled himself up with Alfred's hand and ran his hands through Alfred's hair and quickly pecked him on his nose before walking down back into the town, with Alfred's hand entwined in his.

Eventually, they saw the town church and Alfred gave a comforting squeeze to Arthur's hand. Arthur knew it was time to let go, to let go of his unhidden world and time to go back into the world of pretending. He didn't want to pretend he was interested in girls nor did he want to pretend that Alfred was just his friend – all he wanted to do was hold his love's hand as they explored the Sunday market in town as they bought little ornaments for _their _home together. But he knew, he would never get that, not at least until the war was over.  
Alfred gave Arthur a sad smile and let go of his hand and the two men proceeded further into town, but something wasn't right and Arthur and Alfred shared worried glances.  
There wasn't the usual hustle and bustle of the shops closing up or the yelling of their boisterous baker. It was eerily silent and no one was on the street except the solitary young boy sitting on a stack of newspapers.  
Arthur approached the boy and with the same eerie silence of the town, he handed Arthur a newspaper.  
He froze as soon as he saw the bold black letters, and his whole life shattered in that very second as he read the headline.  
"Arthur?" Alfred called, walking over worried about the colour draining in Arthur's face.  
Arthur dropped the newspaper causing Alfred to pick it up and frowned at the single word dominating the paper:  
'_CONSCRIPTION.'_

* * *

A/N - Hey guys! I'm new to this so please be gentle on me.

_I love these guys and I love war, so in my mind, combining them is nothing short of squeals of cuteness from me._

_Sorry if the chapters seem so short, because on Word, they're really not. I just don't know how to work out this editor thingy on FF._  
_Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this, and I promise: I've written out a whole plan and everything, and I'm not an organised person._


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

(*)

* * *

Alfred looked up to the red frames of the windows of _Book and Bell_. Books were neatly arranged and stacked in the small front window with a small vase of red roses – Arthur's favourite – Alfred noted. He sighed and looked through the window seeing the disarrayed mop of wheat-coloured hair ordering books behind the counter. He would have leaped at the opportunity any other time to rush in and greet Arthur, but today it was, just somehow _different. _  
Alfred knew his time was limited as he scrunched his military papers in his fist, tighter. He knew that everything, or the one person he loved, would be absent from his life in mere days. He had already spent two days after receiving the news being smothered by his family and couldn't visit Arthur in those days. Arthur understood, but it still didn't make Alfred feel any better.  
He tucked the military papers into his inside jacket pocket walked into Arthur's shop, and Arthur turned around when he heard the bell above of the door ring. He gave a very small smile to Alfred and turned back around to sorting out the books on the shelf.  
Alfred knew better from that smile and he knew the real pain and sadness hidden in it. He looked to the old, pristine grandfather in the corner of the shop and assessed that Arthur had done enough for the day. He turned the open sign to closed and locked the single bolt on the door.  
"Arthur?" he said, approaching the questioned man behind the counter.  
Arthur simply shoved a book further back on the shelf with more force.  
"Arthur." he repeated with more of a concerned tone.  
"What do you want me to do Alfred!?" Arthur turned around with such a livid expression.  
"Uhhhh" Alfred stumbled, shocked at the outrage.  
"I had so much I wanted to do! And now I have to go and die on the front lines because some little bastard thinks he can take over the world for the glory of Germany! AHH FUCK!" Arthur threw a pile of books onto the floor enraged, he continued, tearing the books from the shelves.  
"I wanted to go to university! I wanted to write and just own a house in the countryside. Have a peaceful and successful writing career! I wanted a life! And... and" he paused looking down to the books, their pages scattered and torn. "…And I-I- wanted to spend the rest of it with you…"  
Alfred grabbed Arthur by the arm and lifted his chin and tried to make Arthur look at his face. Arthur turned away, trying to conceal his watery eyes that suddenly overtook from his outburst. Alfred snapped his head back to him.  
"Look at me Arthur." Arthur closed his eyes and shook his head.  
"Arthur. _For the love of God_. Look at me!" Arthur shook his head again, a single running down his cheek.  
"Arthur." He whispered, and like that, his resolve was shattered. He just hugged Arthur and held him so incredibly dearly in his arms. He couldn't change anything, he couldn't stop the war and he couldn't stop them going and leaving all this behind. But he could help Arthur until they had to leave.|  
He rubbed Arthur's back as the gentle sobs where muffled into Alfred's jacket.  
"It's.. just not… fair" Arthur muttered, holding the lapels on Alfred's jacket into a tight grip.  
"I know." Alfred soothed rubbing Arthur's back, calming him down further. Arthur's crying eventually stopped, but he left his buried in Alfred's jacket and his warmth.  
"Rhys is just dancing around the house, the tosser, that he doesn't have to join the Army because he's too bloody young."  
Alfred chuckled at the change in mood and conversation. "At least your family isn't looking at you so sadly like you have some kind of disease that you can drop dead at any moment."  
Arthur smiled and then all of a sudden looked up to Alfred, removing his face from Alfred's chest. "Hang on…"  
"What?" Alfred looked down, glad to see Arthur's thick eyebrows crunched up in thought - he loved to tease him about his dominant family 'heirloom'.  
"Have you joined the British side?"  
"Uh, yeah? Why wouldn't I?"  
"You're American though." Arthur said, wearily.  
"Half British and half American. I would fight for America, but if you've noticed, they're not in the war and an ocean away."  
"Bu-But you don't have to fight for this country!"  
"Would you believe me if I said I was fighting for you?" Alfred grinned back at Arthur, bringing Arthur further back into his embrace.  
"Lord Almighty. You're a sappy knob-end aren't you?" Arthur said exasperated.  
"That I am. But babe, England has been my home for the past eleven years and I have a just reason as any other Brit. Also I make them most _marvelous_ British accent."  
Arthur laughed quietly at Alfred's attempt at a British accent and brushed his hand with Alfred's. "Idiot."  
Alfred pulled Arthur's lips to his wanting to smother him completely before he had to leave, but Arthur stopped him.  
"What are you doing Alfred? You know they can walk in and see us!"  
"I've already taken care of it babe. Shop's locked and closed." He said trying to kiss Arthur again.  
"They can see us through the window!"  
"I don't care. We've kept this secret for years anyway…"  
"Alfred!" Arthur scolded, pushing Alfred away.  
"Then let's take it upstairs."  
"Alfr-" and Alfred's lips were suddenly on Arthur's with such an urgency, bringing him back to his embrace. Arthur happily kissed back and wrapped his arms around Alfred, his hesitation gone and gave into his lover, exploring his mouth like the first time all those years back, melting them together. Breaking for air, Alfred gazed into his lover's eyes with such exaltation.  
"I love you." Alfred whispered bringing his hand up to cup Arthur's cheek, "I love you Arthur Kirkland." Alfred then pressed his forehead to Arthur's and smiled, "I love you with all my heart."  
Arthur wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck and jumped up and clung his legs around Alfred's waist, causing Alfred to hold Arthur up with his hands on his lower back.  
Arthur kissed Alfred tenderly and smiled "I love you more than you'll ever know." He moved his mouth further down to Alfred's neck, claiming the tanned flesh. "Now shut up and fuck me."  
"Absolutely."

(*)

"Arthur?" Alfred mused, stroking through Arthur's sex mussed hair. Arthur was lying on Alfred's chest, ear to his heart, absorbed in his lovers comforting heart beat, his hand entwined with one of Alfred's.  
"Hmmm?"  
"Can we stay like this forever?"  
"As much as I would love, we have to go on Sunday." Arthur said sadly.  
"Sunday?" Alfred stopped running his fingers through Arthur's hair and Arthur looked up to him resting his chin on his chest, his thick eyebrows frowning at him.  
"Alfred?"  
"Sunday?" he balked. "I-I- leave on Thursday."  
Arthur turned away and put his head back on Alfred's chest.  
Silence.  
"Babe?" Alfred whispered.  
"Well." Arthur said, turning back to face him, smirking this time. "We've got to make the most of it then, haven't we?"

* * *

_A/N - And Arthur and Alfred did the do. And again and again._

_Okay, so, I'm getting there. I still hope you guys are enjoying it, and thanks for putting up with me._  
_I'm doing summer classes, and doing up a new house that's kinda in a wreck, so updates will be published in the spare time I have - but for those guys who are actually reading and following (you guys are beautiful) - it'll be done - because I'm kinda emotionally invested in this OTP._


End file.
